Should I get Carv

[Phishnerd]

I like the fact that they are continuing to improve and enhance it

Same. From a product perspective they are continually refining their technology and their offering.

I didn't get a chance to try out the Active Coach mode, but hopefully next time. Interested to see if it's engaging.

 

[Mike King]

Active coach mode is pretty interesting and useful. It could be less wordy. I'd like it if it just gave a score without all of the other stuff...

 

[TheWombat]

I will be trying out Active Coach for the first time this weekend. Unfortunately last weekend I didn't get a chance.

 

[geepers]

So after a day n a bit skiing with CARV generally feeling like an expert on the topic. (Obviously that's far from the case but at least I do have some actual experience with the product - unlike many posting here.)

And the pros and cons so far....

1. Free ski and SkiIQ:
Pre-purchase was somewhat skeptical of this concept. Turns out have actually found that 'measurement' quite useful. In that mode CARV assesses your skiing from start of the run until stopping (or nearly stopped such as cruising through the lift corral). It then tells you the number. A short time later, about the time you are sitting on a chair) it will give a tip for improving. Repeat.

Turned it on 1st run, 1st day back on skis after not much skiing the past 4 seasons. Set out to find the middle of the ski. And not fall over. 1st reading was 125. Ok, it's all rusty. A few runs later it's up to 145. Supposedly that's 'Mountain Master' level. Yeah, whatever...

The score pretty much reflects how well I feel I skied a run. Conditions are bad atm: drizzling; wet, manky, sodden mess passing for snow; poor light, zero contrast. It's draggy and slick at the same time. Apparently been that way for days and in the warm conditions the snow has gone isothermic. Anywhere off the groomers or well skied areas is rotten. Can poke the pole straight through to the ground. so decide it's time to stop chasing glory and try some other modes. So plenty of opportunities to ski badly and CARV tells me like it is. The numbers are sometimes just a polite way to say "you suck".

2. Training mode:
Fore/aft balance being key for skiing started with than one.

1st gripe - there are some 20 or 30 levels and in the early levels all that's pretty much needed is to stay upright on the skis. Well, not quite but the low levels don't demand much precision. It would be better if it assessed a run 1st and then stated with a more appropriate level as it does in Ted mode.

Now there's feedback on a turn by turn basis. It's like having an instructor telling you 'yeah, yeah, yeah, nah, yeah....'. Which could annoy some. OTOH the feedback is immediate. As the levels build up and more precision is required that immediacy makes it easy to relate cause and effect.

So whilst working through the lower levels decided to see what effect crushing the cuff has on the assessment - a point raised by @Noodler. And, absolutely, if you are a cuff crusher CARV is going to assess you incorrectly as back. If, like me, you use contact with the cuff as a reference and ski through the soles of your feet then it seems spot on. In fact as the levels tick upwards CARV insists I maintain good contact with the cuff and hammers me when I don't. It's a lot more effective than that old trick of imagining the $100 bill held in place by your shin. It's not easily fooled.

My 1st reaction is that cuff crushers probably wouldn't find CARV that useful. But it's only one of the assessed metrics and there's plenty of other metrics (e.g. edge similarity, early edging, progressive edging) that provide meaningful information for ski improvement.

3. Monitor Mode - G force:
Really don't care if is an accurate reading of centripetal G or not. The number gets higher the more performant the turn. The feedback is also immediate and it draws you in to bettering the result. Was probably the dumbest metric to try with with such poor conditions, compromised vis and limited currency. Still, a bit of fun. At 2G decided self preservation was the order of the day. That one can wait.

4. Ted Mode:
A note for young players: Ted mode does assess your skiing before assigning a starting level. Just make sure to do that assessment when skiing with intent rather than on the cat track to the run when playing with poles, avoiding traffic, whatever.... Hopefully there's a way to redo that assessment to avoid the same issue with the low precision requirements of low levels as encountered with fore/aft balance.

2nd gripe - The intro to Ted mode is Ted's voice. But after assessment the voice is the british lady. No, CARV, I wanna hear from Ted. Even if it's the same message. Please fix.

5. Boot fit:
I have a mortons in my left foot and suspect one is developing in the right. It's challenge wearing ski boots for more than 4-5 hours anyway - still being trying to make adjustments to extend that time - and CARV isn't helping. There's a very good boot fitter in the area and we widened the boot at the 1st and 5th metas and will see how that goes. The second day out only got to ski a short time so didn't get a real test but it seems to e a step in the right direction for the left foot. The right foot - which is slightly larger - needs more work. Haven't got a meta pad in that one yet so that's the next step.


Overall - happy with the purchase. The ability to continually assess the skiing without having a permanent instructor eye's on is extremely useful. And already it's clear that despite some poster's concerns about absolute correctness of measurement CARV is able to discern what is happening well enough to provide a workable suck index for my own skiing.

OTOH I can completely understand why some ppl would not like a product that continually assesses their skiing and can't be argued with. A suck index can be confronting.

 

[Phishnerd]

Tried active coach this weekend. Really liked it — although I don’t think it’s that different than previous monitoring drills, but it’s packaged better maybe?

It’s good feedback and found myself feeling good with it.

 

[Phishnerd]

CARV is able to discern what is happening well enough to provide a workable suck index for my own skiing.

exactly! There’s like 2-3 runs where I don’t suck and that’s reassuring.

 

[geepers]

exactly! There’s like 2-3 runs where I don’t suck and that’s reassuring.

Kind of like golf - there's that one shot or one hole where it went exactly as planned. So won't give the game away just yet....


Was checking out adaptive Active Coaching mode last day on snow. Rather like the feature - it 1st assesses the skiing, gives a focus and then adjusts the target level according to how well you do on that focus. The concept is good. Found the ramp up was effective - string some good turns together and it whistles up pretty quickly. And was impressed how it took snow conditions into account. (No idea how it discerns that - maybe data from other users??) However found that it was a little too ready to ramp the target back down when maybe dealing with traffic or a cat track or something.

Unfortunately atm further activity with CARV has stopped - !@#$% covid. Hit fairly hard and unlikely to make it back on snow before flying home.

 

[Scruffy]

Unfortunately atm further activity with CARV has stopped - !@#$% covid. Hit fairly hard and unlikely to make it back on snow before flying home.

Oh man, weren't you knocked out with covid a while back? Take care and I hope it's a quick journey thru to the other side. Thanks for the updates on your CARV experience.

 

[geepers]

Oh man, weren't you knocked out with covid a while back? Take care and I hope it's a quick journey thru to the other side. Thanks for the updates on your CARV experience.

Wife was affected adversely with long covid. She has also tested positive yesterday but seems to have avoided issues this time. Got a booster 2 weeks before the trip - so there's a lesson there.

Sad thing is that it's been snowing most of the night and all day. Sadder thing is we're iso from the grand kids who we don't get to see very often...